Lies
by Syn'phasia
Summary: "I want to guide you into Ikebukuro," Reborn murmured. "There is a plentiful stock of food and clothing there, and if you and your family is fortunate, you could end up living there." Desperately, Tsuna clutched the Italian man's hands, not noticing the way he flinched. "Please, Reborn, if you know a way that I could get food for my family on time, please tell me!"


**Lies**

Rated: T+

Summary: _"I want to guide you into Ikebukuro," Reborn murmured. "There is a plentiful stock of food and clothing there, and if you and your family is fortunate, you could end up living there." Desperately, Tsuna clutched the Italian man's hands, not noticing the way he flinched. "Please, Reborn, if you know a way that I could get food for my family on time, please tell me!"_

_Seeing as he drove Tsuna into a nervous corner, he smirked deviously as he now lent his hand to the now shivering boy._

_"All you need to do is trust me."_

Tsuna, Enma, and their mother Nana were all poor in a desolate shack to the very north of Namimori. It was near Nishiaraisakaecho, a place a few ways away from the Awakawa Bridge that separated that place with the busy commercial cities such as Ikebukuro and Shibuya. In that gap is where Nana decided she would like to live. But in the winter time, food, money, clothing and even housing equipment became scamp. It was around that time when Tsuna thought it would be best to look elsewhere for resources. A ways from the Bridge did he meet a man called Hephaestus, who nicknamed himself "Reborn". He insisted on Tsuna forming a contract with his spirit of fire, a deity that could grant the wish of any human. With that wish, he could make enough money and resources to take care of his family. But not everything is as easy as it seems.

A/N: Haha, sorry for the long summary. I tried to truncate it...didn't work. So at first, I made a story called "Ardent", which was supposed to be an 8059 18k two-shot. Instead, it was an 8059 6k one-shot. *tear tear* I could never finish it; I was stumped halfway through my first chapter. And then when I tried to edit it...that didn't work, either. I think I am meant to make strictly R27 fanfics...*sulk* But anyways, this is a tri-shot, or a short story made up of three chapters. I do warn you, though; each chapter is a little long. If I need to, I will break it down to six chapters. That is, if anyone likes this story...Speaking of which, I have never been to Japan. So for all of those who have been in Japan or are Japanese, please forgive me that I mixed fantasy with reality.

**EDIT: 14/3/14:** Enjoy the story. I might edit it several times, so if there is something that you don't like, revisit it, and see if I have fixed it yet.

**Warnings:** language, violence, slash, hinting of underage slash, slight OOC

Disclaimer: I own...hey, what do I own?

* * *

Air.

Cold air was the only thing plentiful in this town, in this town of Ganseki. Food was fleeting; it only came when rich merchants happened to pass into town with an abundant amount of goods, and wanted to rid himself of it. It was those days that life was truly cruel; people killed one another to get a single grain of rice, or to gain a single slice of bread. The slimy, filthy water was the only liquid available; there was no such thing as someone leisurely drinking a cup of juice or soda. And forget wine; even a drip of wine was a delicacy to the people of Ganseki.

This was the community that Nana, Tsuna and Enma's mother, wanted to stay in. When the three of them-Nana, Tsuna, and Emma-used to stay in the city of Namimori, they were evicted many times from different households because they couldn't pay the bills. Nana didn't have a job. The jobs that were there were such that you would have to obtain a certain degree percentage to even be considered as a candidate. Nana didn't have that degree, and to go back to school to gain it would be a gain of debt that would never be paid on the family. The sweet mother didn't want that, and so she moved a little north until she came upon the town of Ganseki. It was a poor place, but everyone there didn't have a job, so she felt it was better.

But in reality, it was worse.

Now, Tsuna stared fearfully at the man who stood in front of the beat-up tent that the three of them called home. Nana was out, trying to scurry up some scraps to feed the family, and Enma...that poor nine year old boy was right beside him, clutching hard at his older brother's arm. The two of them wore white, ripped up T-shirts that their father gave to them a long time ago, when he still used to live with them. Before, they had designs patterns of colorful red and green zigzags all over the front, and circles were apparent on the top and the bottom of the shirt. But being in dirt for years, being trampled on by men and women alike ruined their shirts. Now, it was all ripped from the top of the collar to the ends of the shirt, and the idyllic design that they once loved faded away in the dirt, and was washed away by the splatter of blood that painted itself across their chests like a dye. Their jean pants were sold away when Nana was trying to gain the family food, and they had no shoes to speak of. The soles of their feet were bruised, and they could feel some of the scabs that were on their feet begun to peel open.

"Is...Is there something you need?" The ten year olds voice shook, but his eyes held a honest and steady gaze, one that, the man grinned at, he liked. The kid had some confidence in this dump. And if it wasn't confidence, then it was courage and boldness.

"There is, actually." The man was buff and large, and his scars covered up the majority of his arms. His shirt was ripped in two, but he wore the black and thin material as a vest of sorts so it wouldn't look too bad. He had no shoes to speak of, but he did have long pants on, pants that kept him warm. His geranium hair was long past his shoulders, but it didn't go much past that. His face was also grungy, and his lips were set as a hard frown. And next to him, Tsuna could feel his brother shaking violently next to him. Although Enma could show fear, he mustn't. Besides, when the boy got used to him, the older man wasn't a bad sight to look at.

"W-what is it?" Ever since their father left them to fend for themselves, Nana always told Tsuna that he was the man of the house. And this, right here, was a perfect test of that. Would Tsuna cower like his brother, or would he protect the two of them?

No. He kept his gaze steady as best as he could for a boy his age. He would try to do everything he could to help his family, since they were the only things he had left. He didn't have friends to rely on. He didn't have mentors, or aunts and uncles. He just had the little fire-branded boy next to him and a horribly dense mother that was trying to gather food somewhere. And he would protect them.

"Hn. I like that look in your eyes," the man rumbled as he took the brunette's chin in his hand and jerked it upwards. Tsuna could feel himself start to slip, but he remained quiet and observant. His friend Giotto, before he died, always told him to stay silent and observant. Even if you didn't have strength to carry on, it at least _looked_ like you did. And in some cases, that is all that mattered.

"But that's not what I came here for," he finished as he allowed himself to let his eyes graze over Tsuna's thin figure. When he was done, he roughly released him-to which Enma acted as a spring board to support him-and stepped back, folding his arms together and gazing down at the two siblings.

"One: where is Nana?"

"My mother?" The two boys looked at each other, and then back at him. Even if they did know where she was, why would they tell this stranger who neither of them knew? Not even Enma was that scared to rat out his mom like that.

"I don't know," Tsuna muttered as he folded his arms together, mimicking the older man. It wasn't on purpose, but that's what he did. And the older man found it strangely annoying and cute that he did so. But now wasn't the time for cuteness and games. He needed some answers, and as soon as he did, he would be on his merry way.

"How can you not know?" The red-headed man threw up his hands in exasperation. "Look, all I want is to ask your mom a question. You guys are very well known here, you know that?" Tsuna nodded, but Enma simply stared at the man. Part of the reason why the Sawada family was so well-known was because of the fact that Nana went out of her way to bring food in the house for her two sons. She would travel as far as Yashio, the next major town over, to get the supplies she needed. Because of that, the two boys were by themselves a lot, which did not go unnoticed by the people of Ganseki. She would go to multiple markets, finding things that they owned to trade the goods in for food. And they, in return, guarded the tent until she came back home with the scraps she managed to get.

But the people in Ganseki were greedy and didn't have the dedication that she did. Some men would swindle her out of food, in which Tsuna and Enma would starve until she had the resources to go back out again, or they would ask unfair deals of her, resulting in, again, a loss of food. The two children had to wait for her arrival every single time she was deceived by both male or female. After a while, it became lonesome and annoying.

As for the boys themselves? Well, their father taught them a little of fighting to ward off any of the homeless men and women that wondered around their tent, but really, they _really_ became familiar with fighting from watching the homeless people. They would beat each other down for some food that occasionally came. It is true; the boys could steal the small scraps of food that made its way to the tents of the Ganseki town, but usually, they ended up regurgitating the food anyhow. Their food usually either had mold growing on it, or was completely fermented. Sometimes, Tsuna and Enma would try to keep their vomit down, but that only resulted with them getting sick the day after.

"But if we say we don't know," Tsuna boldly declared, stepping one foot forward, "that means we don't know. Now, please go away. You're scaring my brother." He stared down the man, almost as if he were daring him to say something different. Four years ago, when Tsuna was six, he could have never done what he was doing now. He would probably piss himself while watching the strangers dig and prod through his family's things. It's a good thing it happened later and not earlier. By the time Nana wanted to leave Namimori a few years ago, Tsuna's heart was cold and hard. He was fit then to be the male figure of the Sawada household. The thing that made it complete, though, was his father's departure.

"Kid, I don't want your clothes or your food," the man replied sourly. "I'm pretty sure that's what you're thinking right now, and let me tell you; I have no interest in any of that."

"Or shagging my mother?" The older man was taken aback as he stared disbelievingly at the brunette, who continued to glare at him readily. He was so tempted to just smirk, nudge the kid, and maybe give him a playful punch or two because of his curtness, but he held back when he saw a viperous look flash into his brother's face. That was _so_ not an option...

"Look kid, I don't even go that way." Seeing the puzzled look on the child's face, he clarified, clearing his voice with a cough. "I'm not into girls, kid."

Realization dawned on the child, and he immediately withered; his face transformed from courageous and bold to embarrassed and ashamed. Ashamed of what, however, the boy didn't know. Tsuna quickly unfolded his hands, and now stared curiously at the red-head, who stared and watched all of the emotions flit through and between the kid's face. It amused him to no end how much emotion passed through his face. But he didn't say anything as now the boy looked earnestly at him.

He didn't want food, he didn't want clothes, and he had no interest in having what Giotto had called a "good time". So what was it that this man wanted?

"Mn, so what do you want then?"

"Like I told you, I just want to ask her a question. It's about someone who she might know. Is she around?" Now, the boy shook his head. If the man posed as no threat, then there was no reason to be cautious with him. He should have suspected that, though, seeing as the man didn't attack him and his brother. He cringed inside. Just how stupid was he?

"Mom's not around. She's out getting food for us," Enma spoke up lightly. The man's heavy gaze shifted to him, and he moved from one foot to the other in something akin to impatience. At least, that's what he man thought. But Tsuna knew he was scared, and was doing anything and everything not to show it.

"We, uh, ran out of food a week ago. Mom is also starting to get the flu, so she went out to get stuff. I have no idea on when she will be back." The younger of the two sighed, and sat down on the dusty and dirty ground, not caring if he messed up his feet at the least. He only had shorts to speak of, and really, they were more boxers than shorts. And their feet...well...the bottom was already black.

"Hn." The man cocked his head in thought, and after a few moments, he looked down at the two kids, who continued to gaze at him expectantly. What were they expecting out of him? He glanced at Tsuna who had a somewhat relieved expression on his face. Was the boy that glad that he wasn't a threat? Were the two boys that desperate for someone to be with?

The man opened his mouth slightly, and then he snapped it shut. What was he doing, inviting a bunch of kids to the hideout? What these two kids did and how they spent their life was none of his business. But…as he spared another glance at Tsuna, he began to open his mouth again. According to Byakuran, his leader, their mother had some sort of information on his family and pursuers. So…Byakuran wouldn't mind if he took in the mother's kids for a bit…right?

No, he wouldn't. Especially if said children are of some use to him.

"How about you come over my place for a bit? We are a bit far from your tent, but we do have food, and no one messes with us, so you don't have to worry about getting mugged or beaten. How about it, kid?" He directed his question to Tsuna, who then looked at Enma. He refused to do anything without his brother, and if he were to have left without his brother, and left him all by himself, he would feel guilty. Not only that, but Enma wouldn't last long by himself. He knew martial arts moderately, but not enough to beat a whole bunch of homeless men and women. No, he needed him to come.

"I...I can't," Tsuna replied sadly after a while. "We would leave the tent unattended, and I can't leave my brother by himself. I'm sorry, Mister."

"Zakuro." The boy frowned.

"What?"

"My name. And as for the tent, Shoichi and Gingerbread can manage it. Don't worry; they're pretty useful and trustworthy."

The child started to bite his lip, nibbling at the skin on his teeth. "I don't know..."

"We can manage you until your mom comes. We won't keep you, if that's what you're thinking, because we're leaving soon." At this, Enma and Tsuna's heads shot up, peering at the man with a peculiar look on their faces. One was of shock, the other of slight anger.

"Why are you leaving?"

"We have no reason to remain here any longer. Byakuran-sama has decided to reside in Ikebukuro, which is a few ways from here. We were running from certain people before, but now that things have calmed down, we have no more reason to hide."

"..."

"Oh."

"Yeah, so for now, we can take care of you two. We can stay for a week or so until we have to leave. Your mother should be back soon, yes?"

Before a single word could come out of Tsuna's mouth, Enma shot forward, grabbing the man's sleeve with an excited look in his eyes. The usual darkened roasted chestnut color in his eyes lighted to a rosy maroon texture. Enma obviously thought that meeting new people was a thrilling aspect, and this, to him, was no different. Even if it were under unusual circumstances. As long as he was comfortable with the person he was with, then he didn't mind talking with them. It looks like Zakuro earned Enma's absolute interest and trust. Tsuna, on the other hand, was still cautious about this guy.

"We'll come! Mom is usually back within four days, so we can stay there for a few days. Isn't that right, Tsunya?" Unbeknownst to the young boy, he found himself nodding to what Enma had to say. Although he really didn't seem confident about Zakuro and his "so-called" group, if his younger brother wanted to stay with them, then he would grant them the wish he wanted. After all, Enma was his only brother, and he had been through the same things that Tsuna went through. Well, not the _exact_ same thing, since Tsuna experienced a lot worse than Enma, but at the same time, he was there with his brother all of the way.

"Uh...yeah..." He bit his lip harder, watching as a drop of blood started to form on the bottom of his lip, and without thinking, he swiped it with the tip of his tongue, swishing it before letting the blood dissolve on the back of his throat. He didn't pay attention to what he did, but Zakuro did, and he watched as those pink lips opened to reveal that seductive tongue that snaked its way around the edges of the boy's lips. He had to force himself to look away as Tsuna's eyes rested on his. He knew that he had to control his libido that was raging inside of him, especially if he wanted the boy to even stay _near_ him.

"Good. So take whatever you need, and then we'll leave. Make sure that you leave some sort of note here for Shoichi and Gingerbread so they know this is the room. If you leave it on the inside of this cloth, then I will tell Shoichi to check there. Understood?"

"Yeah."

"Alright then; let's get moving."

By the time Tsuna and Enma were familiar and fully comfortable with the crew, it was time for them to leave. A week had passed, and Tsuna found him oddly comfortable with a man by the name of Spanner. He was a blond man, American apparently, and he loved technology and sweets. His favorite things happened to be making androids and creating lollipops. The latter was his hobby, the former his passion. But after Byakuran, his boss, got into a truffle, his whole organization had to go on lock down. Spanner included.

Enma liked a man by the name of Gamma. He was also blond, but he was of Italian and Russian ancestry. He was cocky and rather conceited, but he had a kind heart. He would help those who needed his help, and those who had a will. If someone had neither of those things, he would ignore them until they did. But see, no one that Gamma knew was like that. Including Enma. So he didn't ignore anyone, although he was kind of cold at times. That coldness made him charismatic, if that made sense.

"Your mom ain't back yet?" Tsuna shook his head at Zakuro, who he has also became familiar with. He wasn't as scary and as cruel looking as when he first met the man. Though, the man also was strange. He would ask Tsuna to sleep with him, and then when he did, he would make sure to touch him in certain places when Zakuro would clutch onto the boy. Tsuna didn't pay it any heed, because it didn't hurt, and the older man always made it a point to stop when Tsuna demanded so, but it did make him curious. Why did Zakuro do those weird things? When Tsuna would ask him, he would never answer, and would change the topic. All in all, he was a strange but nice man.

"No...I don't know why, Zakuro. Usually, she is back by now. No, she would have been back by Thursday, with food and clothes in hand. Do you think something might have happened to her?" The red-headed man shook his head as he began to frown.

"I don't think so, Tsuna. But if you feel so anxious about it, how about we go there? We can use one of Shoichi's creations. It's Yoshio, right? Then it shouldn't take too long to get there. Maybe an hour at most?"

For some reason, after hearing that, he felt a little better, and he nodded as a smile began to form on his rather plump face. He was happy that Zakuro was willing to go the extra mile for him, although they only met a week ago...really...everyone he has met since he has came here, well, didn't do that. All except for this group, Byakuran included.

"I don't think you'll need that, Tsunayoshi-kun." Tsuna and Zakuro both glanced to the side of them, spotting a patch of snow white hair across from them. When Tsuna looked closer, he saw that it was Byakuran, with a bright smile on his face like always. For some reason, he always smiled, no matter if things were good or bad, and at one point, the child wondered if his face was just like that. But there was one time, one time where some stranger messed with a girl named Yuni. Byakuran's face transformed from the cheerful hare to the threatened lion. And if Tsuna wasn't cautious of him before, now he definitely was cautious.

Afterwards, he convinced Yuni to stay with him at all times-which she wisely accepted-and since then, those two were inseparable. This might have been one of the few times that Tsuna saw Byakuran without Yuni.

"We found your mother. She's already at the tent. But she's ill. Very ill." Hearing that, Tsuna's eyes widened, and he almost ran away. But Byakuran stopped him with his playful yet serious voice. He placed his hand on the side of him, stretching his hand out, effectively blocking the child. At the same time, he managed to hold the boy in place.

"Yuni and your younger brother have it covered. I want you to do me a favor-although, it's really for your own benefit, Tsunayoshi-kun." The boy gulped, trying to think of a way out of it. He knew Byakuran said that Yuni and Enma had it covered, but Nana was his mom too! He wanted to see her, to touch her, to take care of her, and to stay by her side. Was that so bad? And if it wasn't, why is this man stopping him from seeing her? In any case, how did she get sick in the first place? Was it stress? Was it a bug that she caught along the way? But then, that would fade...and Byakuran said that she was very ill...a cold or the flu isn't very ill...though, if it got bad enough, it could be. What was he to do?

"I-I-I can't do that," he stuttered out, watching as the man's smile dimmed a bit. Crap, he could already tell that the man's patience was starting to wear thin...like a time bomb. He could tell why no one defied him now. If he was like this with everyone, then there was no mistake of why they were are scared of him. Even Gamma, as rude and somewhat inconsiderate as he can be, obeyed Byakuran at all times. Byakuran was the type of man who, when he wanted something done, he wanted it done right there and then. If you didn't give him what he wanted, then he would strike. This situation was no exception.

But...this was. His mom, Nana, was probably the only thing to family he had. He just had to see her.

"Tsunayoshi-kun, you didn't even hear about what I wanted you to do. No one else but you could do this, you know," the man purred out, gazing at Tsuna to see what kind of response he would give. Hopefully, for his sake, he would be smart and choose the right one: acceptance and obedience.

"I know, Byakuran-san, but my mom and Enma are my only family left. I will do whatever it is that you want, but please, let me see my family first." He didn't get why he had to say 'please' to a stranger just to see his family, but with Byakuran, he could never be too careful. It was better to be safe than sorry.

"Of course," he replied cheerily, but in his eyes was doubt. And a little bit of irritation as well. But since Tsuna was a kid, and because Spanner and Zakuro liked him, he wouldn't lash out. Besides, that child was much better than Enma, who was either too shy or to hyper. Tsuna was somewhere in the middle, being cautious yet cordial. That is, unless he knew you or was comfortable talking with you. But that list in which the ten year old child was comfortable with is small. Very small.

"If you keep going straight, you'll see them. Be careful, Tsunayoshi-kun."

Tsuna found out why Byakuran wanted to stop him so bad. His mother looked terrible. Terrible with a capital _T_. His mother was sitting on the pile of cloths that the three of them called a mattress, and she was sweating profusely. She would cough, and when she did, blood splattered all over the floor. She was pale, and it looked like she lost a few pounds. No. Make that a lot of pounds. She looked like a sack of bones-almost.

Enma was nowhere to be seen, but Yuni was there, constantly wiping the sweat from Nana's face, and would once in a while, feed her food. She was patient, even when she was delusional and would fling her hands at things that weren't there.

"Where's Enma?" The soft-eyed child turned towards the speaker, who happened to be Tsuna.

"He's with Gamma, going to get some supplies for our departure. We're leaving in thirty minutes, so your brother wanted to be with Gamma until it was time to go."

"What about Mom? He knows Mom's state, doesn't he?"

"He does, but..." She looked away painfully, cringing as she continued. "He would rather not see her tight now. The sight of her scares him. Tsuna, he isn't like you. He can't deal with sick people. He cries at the sight of it."

The boy listened with a blank expression on his face as he tried to feel sympathy for his brother. But he couldn't. To him, his mother was one of the most important things in his life. If Enma couldn't deal with that...if he couldn't deal with at least staying with his mother for a little bit so she wouldn't be lonely...so she wouldn't be sad...

"Where is the food that she brought home?"

"See, that's the thing." She sighed as she took a clean cloth, ran it in the bucket of water next to her that was right beside Nana's head, squeezed it out, and placed it on the woman's head.

"She lost it. All of it. We gave her some of our sources, which are why Gamma and Enma are going out to get more, but when she collapsed, she dropped her food. Some of the beggars there stole it from her, and when Byakuran and I were going to find her, we saw them. We couldn't catch up to the beggars though. We could only manage your mother." She bowed her head in shame, her bangs covering her turquoise eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry," the child whispered, approaching the two with a saddened expression. "I am sorry I couldn't help."

"There is a way that you can help," Yuni responded after a while. "But it is kind of far, and you have to pass a bridge..."

The child sprung up out of his seat, clutching the girl's hand.

"Anything I can do to help, I will do! Please Yuni, tell me!" She looked happy for a moment, but then the look died down.

"Well, you could go into Shibuya and get some things for your mother. But seeing as you are not only young, but would have to go by yourself, it would be hard. I would go with you, but we are leaving very soon. As it is, I have already spent a few hours in here. We wanted to keep it a secret until she would get better, but seeing as we're leaving..."

Almost as if Fate wanted to prove her statement, Byakuran popped his head in the tent, his eyes darting around for Yuni. When he found her, he placed his trademark smile on his face and he beckoned the girl with a wave.

"We're leaving now, Yuni." He took one glance at Tsuna, who looked fearful, and then back at Yuni. "Leave them, Yuni. We have to leave, and I can't afford to stay one hour more than I have to."

The girl sighed once more, stood up, and headed towards Byakuran. But Tsuna tried to stop her.

"Wait," he called out in a desperate voice. "Please, Yuni. I beg of you. Please help my mom. She is my only family." But she simply shook her head, smiling sadly at him with that look in her eyes, that look that said, _I told you so_.

"I swore to serve and follow Byakuran," she mumbled, now heading out of the tent with her head bowed. "And if he stays here any longer than he has to, there is a chance that his pursuers would catch up to him. Although I did enjoy meeting you and your family, there are more important things I have to attend to. I am sorry, Tsuna."

As she left, Byakuran stayed back, watching every move that Tsuna did. Would he become angry? Happy? Sad? What would he think of them the next time they met, if they met?

"You know," he began, still watching Tsuna. "There are times that help will vanish from your grasp. Life is cruel like that, Tsunayoshi-kun, and you must get used to it. And maybe if we meet again, we could help you one more time. But now I have to leave. My family and friends are on the line, and I can't afford to stay because of some poor, three-seat family. Please understand."

And just like that, the only help and light that Tsuna had, Byakuran and his group, was gone.

* * *

A/N: I put details of three to four important events. Do you prefer this, or do you prefer I put less details, but with more events? Review, and tell me what you think. I am generally curious.

I finished this late, like, reeeaaallly late that my eyes are heavy and sunken in. Watch. I will visit Mr. Edit again soon...oh! And I finished my course and test. But I don't know what I got yet...so I have been discombobulated...

_**EDIT: 14/3/14:**_ Yeah, this story is really kind of...um...I changed it a lot. I took out some shota content. You might notice it, but it is only one or two scenes where it is mentioned. I don't have a 'course' anymore-I am moving on to Physics and crap like that next year. Um...

Please give me your feedback! Tell me if something doesn't make sense! I will fix it, or explain it! I appreciate every bite you give me! ~

Speaking of which, I wonder if you guys will notice anything about the end...besides the fact that it is so depressing and sad...


End file.
